The Weights and Measures Department of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment yesterday said it has the capacity to generate N5billion from its official activities if the government provides all it needs to carry out its duties effectively.
Its Director, Mohommed Sada Sidi, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, said the Department, if properly equipped, is a money making ventures for the country.
Sidi said: “In 2018 alone, the Department inspite, of all its inadequacies, generated N500million for the ministry. It is obvious that the government and the citizens do not seem to be properly informed of the importance of weights and measures.
“This Department is very important and deserves attention by the government and the citizens. In other countries, weight and measures is detached from the government and used to generate revenue for the country.
There should be strong regulation that anyone selling anything at all must have a way of weighing and measuring it.
“The weight and measures recently took its position in the monitoring of crude oil export. Before now, we cannot say we have effective and accountable measurement of oil. As we speak now, we have effective regulation of measurement of crude oil.
“The constitution bars states from making law on Weight and Measures Act. It is only the Federal Government that can make regulations on weight and measures; states have nothing to do with this but they are stakeholders.
“For every measurement by officers, there is what is called verification fee, it is reviewed upward or downward by the minister. This fee, if effectively calculated should take care of the needs of the Department, and should still give certain cash back to the government.”
Previous research showed that excess fat within the liver and pancreas caused type 2-diabetes. Participants in a new study went into remission after a weight loss programme
Putting a person with type 2 diabetes on an intensive weight loss programme can reverse the disease with no need for medication, according to a landmark study. The findings could revolutionise the way it is treated, researchers said, benefiting both patients and the NHS.
Almost half of the participants in a weight-loss programme that used low-calorie shakes and soups were in remission after 12 months, despite some having had type 2 diabetes for six years.
Almost one in 10 adults in Britain have type 2 diabetes and the condition costs the NHS about £14 billion a year.
Mike Lean from the University of Glasgow, lead researcher of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (Direct), said: “Putting type 2 diabetes into remission as early as possible after diagnosis could have extraordinary benefits, both for the individual and the NHS. Direct is telling us it could be possible for as many as half of patients to achieve this in routine primary care, and without drugs.”
The study, published in The Lancet, involved almost 300 people, half of whom received standard diabetes care from their GP while the other half took part in a structured weight management programme. Only four per cent of those given standard care went into remission, compared with 46 per cent on the weight-loss programme.
“These findings are very exciting. They could revolutionise the way type 2 diabetes is treated,” Roy Taylor from Newcastle University, co-lead researcher, said. “Rather than addressing the root cause, management guidelines for type 2 diabetes focus on reducing blood sugar levels through drug treatments. Diet and lifestyle are touched upon but diabetes remission by cutting calories is rarely discussed.”
Of people who lost 15kg or more on the diet, 86 per cent put their type 2 diabetes into remission. Of those who lost 10-15kg, 57 per cent achieved remission, while of those who lost 5-10kg, 34 per cent achieved remission.
The results mimic those shown by bariatric surgery, such as gastric bands or bypasses, for people with type 2 diabetes. Although the procedures are effective for weight loss and reversing the disease, they also come with risks and NHS bosses have been unwilling to fund them except in extreme cases.
Professor Taylor said: “Our findings suggest the very large weight losses targeted by bariatric surgery are not essential to reverse the underlying processes which cause type 2 diabetes. The weight loss goals provided by this programme are achievable for many.”
The team’s previous research showed that excess fat within the liver and pancreas caused type 2 diabetes.
The study will follow participants for four years to see if weight loss and remission can be maintained long term.
Elizabeth Robertson of Diabetes UK, which funded the trial, said: “These first-year findings of Direct demonstrate the potential to transform the lives of millions of people . . . It’s very important that anyone living with type 2 diabetes considering losing weight in this way seeks support and advice.”
The regime
A nurse or dietician started patients on a diet of shakes and soups that provided between 825 and 853 calories a day for three to five months. The drinks came as a sachet of powder stirred into water.
Dieticians then helped patients reintroduce solid, healthy meals to their diets over two to eight weeks.
Participants were also offered advice on how to maintain their weight loss.
The dietary advice given out in the Counterweight-Plus programme will not be very different from that given by the NHS more generally. What is different is the counseling that goes with it, which aims to help people break out of their bad habits around food.
Something as simple as faeces sample reveals whether you can lose weight by following dietary recommendations characterized by a high content of fruit, vegetables, fibers and whole grains, report experts.
A finding of a new study conducted at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark revealed that the bacteria we all have in our gut may play a decisive role in personalized nutrition and the development of obesity. This is shown by several studies that have delved into the significance of these bacteria.
“Human intestinal bacteria have been linked to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, and scientists have started to investigate whether the intestinal bacteria can play a role in the treatment of overweight. But it is only now that we have a breakthrough demonstrating that certain bacterial species play a decisive role in weight regulation and weight loss” says Professor Arne Astrup, Head of the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
HOW I FOUND SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM OF EXCESS WEIGHT/FAT
“My Doctor Nearly Killed Me; He Revealed To Me 28 Health Risks And Social Disadvantages Of Excess Weight/Fat But Could Not Offer Me A Reliable Solution. I Got So Worried That My BP Rose To 162. I Only Recovered My Health When I Found This “Instant Fat Burner” (IFB) That Began To Surprise Me Within 7 Days. Wow! I Now Look Like A Model”
Dear Friend,
My name is Lucy. I am 33; a single lady from Anambra State in Nigeria. What you are about to read below is a true story of my life. I want to share this experience because I believe life is all about sharing. Someone helped me to discover something that gave my life a definition, so my conscience demands that I should help others discover same.
During my secondary school and university stages, I was very beautiful, attractive and had normal shape and size. But about six years ago, when I was 27, I began to battle with the problem of excess weight/fat (probably inherited from my mother because she was also very fat). One Saturday morning, I got ready to attend the wedding of one of my best friends; as I stood in front of the standing mirror in my apartment, I could not control my emotions; I broke out weeping uncontrollably. My problem? I had been on a very strict diet for about 7 weeks. Now here am I in front of a mirror and it appears I had added weight instead of reducing.
Nobody was with me in the house so I pulled off my clothes to have a clearer view. I did not like what I was seeing in the mirror: my blown-up cheeks, my timber-like arms and thighs, very big tummy, sagging skin, aging appearance and folds of flesh all over the body.
I continued weeping and thinking of all my experiences within the 6 years: Clothes no longer looked nice on me; I kept spending so much money changing my wardrobe as I kept increasing in size; I experienced so much heat and sweat even when the weather was not too hot; I always needed very strong deodorants to keep off armpit odor and general odor of perspiration; I easily got weak and sick; I was attracted to almost nobody; I couldn’t remember if anyone ever told me “I love you” because my beauty was no longer obvious; employers rejected me on assumption that my weight would make me inefficient. In fact I lack space to state all that I experienced.
In search of solution to this situation, there was nothing recommended by anyone that I did not try: liquid protein, fasting, painful exercises, supplements, slimming belt, slimming vibrators, herbal concoctions, western drugs etc.
I was so desperate that if somebody had recommended urine or excreta, I probably would have tried it, and this is no exaggeration.
That Saturday morning, I wept to my satisfaction, wiped my face, dressed up again and rushed to a nearby pharmacy shop to check my weight; and behold, the scale said I was 101kg. At this stage, I had already forgotten that I was to attend a wedding. My good friend who wedded that day has not forgiven me till today because I had no good reason to present to her as why I was not in her wedding. goo.gl/Yl8Qqk
From the pharmacy shop, I rushed out to hospital to see if my doctor would recommend a lasting solution to my problem. This was the last straw that broke the Carmel’s back. The doctor said that there were 28 things I should know about excess weight/fat before he would prescribe anything to me. He told me that the reason I must know those 28 things was for me to be serious with whatever he would eventually recommend. I quickly took my mobile device; set it on “RECORD” and asked him to go ahead. Then he began:
28 HEALTH/SOCIAL CHALLENGES OF EXCESS WEIGHT/FAT
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) which can lead to problems such as angina (chest pain/discomfort), heart attack and heart failure. 2. High Blood Pressure. 3. Stroke 4. Diabetes Type 2, which can result in early death, kidney disease, Blindness etc. 5. Abnormal Blood Fats (bad cholesterol). 6. Metabolic syndrome 7. Cancer 8. Arthritis 9. Sleep Apnea 10. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). 11. Reproductive Problems such as menstrual issues and infertility in women. 12. Difficulty in walking or running. 13. Inability to bend down normally. 14. More likely to experience premature death. 15. Poor quality of life and sub-health syndromes. 16. Consistent experience of back and waist pains. 17. More likely to develop kidney stones, gall stones etc. 18. They often experience depression; not feeling good; stress caused by body imbalance, feeling unattractive, being socially isolated etc. 19. Most clothes do not look good on people of excess weight. They also waste much money changing their wardrobe when former clothes are no longer their sizes. 20. Difficulty in finding friends and suitors. 21. They are often despised, no one enjoys sitting near them in trains, public buses and planes because they occupy more than normal spaces. 22. They can be rejected by most employers and can lose already existing jobs because of inefficiency 23. Broken-down feet as they strain under additional weight. 24. Double cheeks, sagging skin, squeezed or folded flesh etc. 25. Perspiration and body odor. 26. Lack of self confidence and inferiority feelings. 27. Very irritating snoring. 28. Appearing to be 12 years older than their age mates.
As he was talking, I was listening with keen interest. I was also curios to hear the conclusion of the whole matter because I desperately needed solution.
Unfortunately for me, what the doctor recommended were things I had done over and over and got no solution. This doctor nearly killed me. It was desperation, confusion; worry and anxiety that made me rush to the hospital; and now my worries were multiplied because some of the 28 things he mentioned were things I was experiencing already. Meanwhile he could not offer me a solution. From that day my BP began to rise exponentially. Before I found solution to this problem, my BP was already at 162. goo.gl/Yl8Qqk
THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET
Even if I forget every other issue in my life, I will never forget a particular Sunday afternoon. I prayed and wept in church asking God to grant me a weight-loss solution so that I would be loved and attracted to people like in my school days. As I was walking home from church that afternoon, a Toyota highlander horned and stopped beside me and the lady driving called out in excitement. “MAMA LUCY”. I was embarrassed; I knew I resembled my mother facially, I also knew my mother was equally fat, but was I as old as my mother?
Behold it was Angela, my secondary school mate. We both passed out of Ansar-Udeen Secondary School. We were close friends at school; we used to follow each other home once in a while, so she knew my parents and I knew hers.
She parked, came down and hugged me. She used to be VERY, VERY fat (so fat that we used to mock her at school) but now she looks like “MISS NIGERIA”. I could recognize her because her face did not change. When I told her I was Lucy and not mama Lucy, she was surprised.
As she was trying to find out what led to my excess weight, I was also eager to find out the secret of her new found Miss-Nigeria shape. We both entered her car, she put on her I-Pad and quickly showed me where and how she found solution, and since then, I have always been glad to share it with everybody because somebody shared it with me.
I am sure you hate, and would not want to experience any of the above listed 28 challenges of excess weight, isn’t it? However, the truth is that if you already have excess weight or you are almost there, the above problems will definitely develop at one time or another and we all know that prevention is always a better choice.
On the other hand, if already you are slightly or gradually experiencing any of those 28 challenges, think of what could happen to your life and health in the next six months or one year in case you fail to do something urgently about your weight.
Today, I now look like a fashion model. Sound body and mind, good health, self-esteem, confidence, love and attraction have all been restored to me. Presently, four responsible men are lining up and each of them wants my hand in marriage; my problem now is how to make the choice. I remain very grateful to God almighty; and the more I help others by sharing this good news, the more God helps me with more blessings because whatever one sows is what they shall reap.
CLICK HERE goo.gl/Yl8Qqk TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE INSTANT FAT BURNER (IFB) THAT RESTORED PEACE AND JOY TO MY LIFE
We are often told that it’s wrong to judge others by the way they look, but we can attest to the fact that our appearances is a determining factor in social status, professional success and relationships; especially in our society where slim is considered ideal and healthy.
Overweight and obesity are defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in different parts of the body that may impair health. Carrying excess fats do more than increase your weight—they increase your risk of major health problems like type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases (CHD), Stroke etc.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to face a higher than average risk of about 50 different health problems. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death such as heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments such as gout and gallstones. goo.gl/xTYOQ4
Trends in Adult weight
WHO data reveals that;
Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.
In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.
39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.
Most of the world’s populations live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014.
Obesity is preventable.
Causes of Overweight and Obesity
The fundamental cause of overweight and obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. This imbalance between calories stored and calories burned depends on your genetic makeup, your level of physical activity, and your resting energy expenditure (the number of calories your body burns while at rest). If you consistently burn all of the calories that you consume in the course of a day, you will maintain your weight. If you consume more energy (calories) than you burn, you will gain weight.
These excess calories that are not used up are stored throughout your body as fat. Your body stores this fat within specialized fat cells known as adipose tissue either by enlarging fat cells, which are always present in the body, or by creating more of them.
Many factors can lead to energy imbalance and weight gain and these include: eating habits, genes, environmental influences, food and portion sizes, attitudes and emotions, life habits, and income. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4for more information.
How to Estimate Overweight and Obesity – Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight for height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). It is the most useful measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults.
BMI Classification
S/N
BMI
Status
1
<18.5
Underweight
2.
18.5 to 24.9
Normal weight
3
25 to 29.9
Overweight
4
30 +
Obesity
As your BMI increases your health risk also increases.
Health effect of being Overweight and obesity
Being overweight or obese can increase your health risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease etc. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4
A Harvard study shows that obesity increased the risk of diabetes 20 times and substantially boosted the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and gallstones. The study also revealed a direct relationship between BMI and health risk: the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of disease.
Compared with people of normal weight, overweight people face a 22% higher risk of stroke. For those who are obese, the increased risk rises to 64%, according to a 2010 report in the journal Stroke, which pooled results from 25 studies involving more than two million people.
About 90% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or obese. A condition that is characterized by high blood sugar level, is one of the features of metabolic syndrome. If untreated or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently one of the leading causes of death.
A study, which followed nearly 74,000 U.S. women, found that the longer a woman is overweight, the greater her risk of breast, endometrial, colon and kidney cancers. The cancer society says excess weight contributes to as many as 20 percent of all cancer deaths.
And because excess weight plays a role in so many common and deadly diseases, overweight and obesity can reduce your life span. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4to know more.
Lose Weight, Feel Better
Losing excess weight can make you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and can help you live a longer and healthier life. Exercise enables you burn up more calories, and will reduce some of your fat stores. When this happens, your fat cells shrink up and are reduced. goo.gl/xTYOQ4. Especially encouraging is the fact that you don’t have to lose a tremendous amount of weight to become healthier. Losing a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting weight can lead to significant health benefits. You could lose 4 – 7kg in 9days with No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise! and feel more energetic. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4to discover effective ways to turn your body into a fat shredding machine.
We are often told that it’s wrong to judge others by the way they look, but we can attest to the fact that our appearances is a determining factor in social status, professional success and relationships; especially in our society where slim is considered ideal and healthy.
Overweight and obesity are defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in different parts of the body that may impair health. Carrying excess fats do more than increase your weight—they increase your risk of major health problems like type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases (CHD), Stroke etc.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to face a higher than average risk of about 50 different health problems. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death such as heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments such as gout and gallstones. goo.gl/xTYOQ4
Trends in Adult weight
WHO data reveals that;
Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.
In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.
39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.
Most of the world’s populations live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014.
Obesity is preventable.
Causes of Overweight and Obesity
The fundamental cause of overweight and obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. This imbalance between calories stored and calories burned depends on your genetic makeup, your level of physical activity, and your resting energy expenditure (the number of calories your body burns while at rest). If you consistently burn all of the calories that you consume in the course of a day, you will maintain your weight. If you consume more energy (calories) than you burn, you will gain weight.
These excess calories that are not used up are stored throughout your body as fat. Your body stores this fat within specialized fat cells known as adipose tissue either by enlarging fat cells, which are always present in the body, or by creating more of them.
Many factors can lead to energy imbalance and weight gain and these include: eating habits, genes, environmental influences, food and portion sizes, attitudes and emotions, life habits, and income. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4for more information.
How to Estimate Overweight and Obesity – Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight for height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). It is the most useful measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults.
BMI Classification
S/N
BMI
Status
1
<18.5
Underweight
2.
18.5 to 24.9
Normal weight
3
25 to 29.9
Overweight
4
30 +
Obesity
As your BMI increases your health risk also increases.
Health effect of being Overweight and obesity
Being overweight or obese can increase your health risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease etc. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4
A Harvard study shows that obesity increased the risk of diabetes 20 times and substantially boosted the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and gallstones. The study also revealed a direct relationship between BMI and health risk: the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of disease.
Compared with people of normal weight, overweight people face a 22% higher risk of stroke. For those who are obese, the increased risk rises to 64%, according to a 2010 report in the journal Stroke, which pooled results from 25 studies involving more than two million people.
About 90% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or obese. A condition that is characterized by high blood sugar level, is one of the features of metabolic syndrome. If untreated or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently one of the leading causes of death.
A study, which followed nearly 74,000 U.S. women, found that the longer a woman is overweight, the greater her risk of breast, endometrial, colon and kidney cancers. The cancer society says excess weight contributes to as many as 20 percent of all cancer deaths.
And because excess weight plays a role in so many common and deadly diseases, overweight and obesity can reduce your life span. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4to know more.
Lose Weight, Feel Better
Losing excess weight can make you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and can help you live a longer and healthier life. Exercise enables you burn up more calories, and will reduce some of your fat stores. When this happens, your fat cells shrink up and are reduced. goo.gl/xTYOQ4. Especially encouraging is the fact that you don’t have to lose a tremendous amount of weight to become healthier. Losing a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting weight can lead to significant health benefits. You could lose 4 – 7kg in 9days with No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise! and feel more energetic. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4to discover effective ways to turn your body into a fat shredding machine.
HELLO Harriet, I am really impressed with your column. Please, I want you to counsel me on what to do on an important matter. I am 42 years old, married with children.
Here is my issue: My relationship with my husband is deteriorating by the day because of my weight. He has made this clear to me. I have been consoling myself with one excuse or the other.
I am tired of my weight-loss programme. I love my husband, and I don’t want my weight to be an issue in our relationship. Help me.
Mrs Adewale, Lagos.
Thanks for sharing your problem with us. The issue of weight is a very sensitive one. Some people look at it and do something about it, while others do not want it mentioned at all. The fact that you are aware of your weight and have made up your mind to do something about it is a good step.
I must commend you on that. You are very lucky to have a husband who is sincere about what he wants in his wife because some men will not discuss it. Instead, they will start acting in different ways. Others go as far as picking up quarrels all the time, even when there is nothing to quarrel about. Don’t forget that one man’s meat is another man’s poison some men like their wives big, while some like their wives slim.
However, healthy living is the solution to the problem stated above. Therefore, you will have to change your diet not for a period of time, but for life. So, you need to see this process as a lifestyle change. It is important to have a planned meal, knowing what to eat, how to eat and when to eat.
Healthy diet doesn’t seem to make as much impact on us as the habits we’ve grown up with. For example, how many of us ate yoghurt when we were children? Probably the only spaghetti most of us ate in the past came out of tins.
A meal wasn’t a meal, if it didn’t have a centrepiece of meat followed by chilled drinks. Today, it is different. We have broadened our taste buds in the last few years- so the next step should be to make further changes to our eating habit in order to change the proportions of different nutrients, giving us healthier balance. Healthy eating should not be difficult to achieve, especially as there are now many nutritious meals to choose from. There are some helpful guidelines you can follow with confidence.
Set realistic goals and targets: Let your goals and targets be realistic. Remember you did not gain the weight in one day, so it’s going to take a while for you to shed off the weight.
Major overhaul to your meals which involves drastic cutbacks or punishing regimes will not work. You are more likely to stick to gradual changes. Frankly, highly restricted diets which involve you going without certain groups of foods can even be harmful, unless you do so under the supervision of a professional.
Moreover, stick to two or three moderately sized meals each day, rather than semi-starving yourself for much of the day and having one mega-sized meal to compensate. This is because your digestive system works better on a regular supply of food.
Snacking in between meals is fine provided you make your snack healthy. For example, a piece of fruit or raw vegetable which provides proportionate vitamins, minerals and fibre will do.
Furthermore, increase your intake of unrefined cereals (whole meal bread, pasta and rice)
Don’t forget to reduce your intake of saturated fats (the fats mainly found in animal-origin products)
Aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
Your programme is incomplete if you don’t add exercise to it. One of the best ways to keep healthy and keep your weight down is to get regular exercise. You need activity to make it work. Remember you don’t have to do anything too difficult.
A lot of things you do for fun are great exercise, like dancing, swimming or going for brisk walks. Short periods of exercise several times a week will do you better than a fortnight’s inactivity punctuated by a single exhausting afternoon. Aim to get to the stage where you miss exercising, if you’re prevented from doing it for more than a few days.
You can actually exercise on your own or register with a gym. If it helps, have a fixed time and date marked in your diary. Remember you are what you eat, so good luck, as you turn to a healthy lifestyle for yourself and for your marriage.
Harriet Ogbobine is a counsellor and a motivational speaker. Send your questions and suggestions to her on bineharriet@gmail.com or txt message only 08054682598. You can also follow her on twitter: @bineharrietj
Concerned with the growing misconceptions about beer, brewers have taken steps to correct the assumptions.
They have started a sensitisation campaign to correct some of the negative beliefs about beer because of the concern that if allowed the beer market may be hurt.
As part of the sensitisation campaign, Nigerian Breweries has organised a media tour of one of its plants and a seminar on the subject in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Delivering a lecture at the seminar, the Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, stated that many positive things had been said about beer just as there have been many misconceptions and negative campaigns.
According to him, reputation matters and how people perceive the role of beer and that of brewers matter to the long-term sustainability of the industry.
On the notion that red wine is better for the heart than beer, Agenmonmen said based on scientific findings, beer is better than red wine.
Addressing the belief that beer contributes to body weight, he made reference to an article in The Telegraph newspaper of 1995, which said: “Interestingly, scientists have found that moderate drinkers, who drink regularly but only in small amounts, had lower body weights than their non-drinking peers and those who drank a lot at once (binge drinkers).”
He said calories were responsible for weight gain and belly fat and not beer which contain over 90 per cent water.
Making references to a research by the United States Department of Agriculture, he observed that while table wine contained 77 calories per serving, spirits contained 250 calories, apple juice, 47 calories and orange juice, 42 calories. Beer contained fewer calories than all of them with 41 calories per serving.
A professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Tola Atinmo, supported Agenmonmen’s nutritional claims, observing that the ingredients used in making beer contained a lot of benefits to consumers.
Atinmo added while reviewing the condiments used in brewing beer that beer was made from four natural ingredients namely yeast, barley, hops and water.
According to him, all four ingredients are good for the body.
He said:“Hops is bitter and good for the liver and kidney, yeast is good for the eye, barley provides energy for the body while water is naturally recommended for the body.
Citing a 1994 research from the United States Human Nutrition Research Centre, Atinmo said consuming moderate amounts of alcohol did not cause weight gain or an excess of body fat. Rather, he said, alcohol might help the body to regulate appetite.
He said “Direct studies in which alcohol was ‘control fed’ to humans showed that, under normal living conditions, moderate alcohol consumption (e.g. 60–75 g alcohol per day, which is equivalent to approximately two litres of average strength beer daily) had no measurable impact on energy balance and body weight over a period of approximately one month.
“Beer is essentially fat free. It is largely water, and most beers contain very few insoluble solids.”
Odimodi community, by all standards, should be a little paradise and a tourism investment destination, considering its natural endowments, but the unusual circumstances that have faced it in recent times and the struggles it has had to go through to fight a special war for freedom have so far robbed it of its dues. BOLAJI OGUNDELE writes about the recent military versus militant showdown in the community.
•A house affected by the crisis
Not long ago, Odimodi played host to men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield. They laid siege on the militant camp. By the time the sounds of fire exchange were dying out, four bodies of suspected militants were discovered.
At the end, the story out there in the public domain depicted the community as harbouring the unscrupulous and probably aiding and abetting their unlawful life pattern. However, it was an incomplete story; the story of a people, told by an outsider.
Explaining the genesis of the crisis to reporters over the last weekend in Odimodi, the Amadiwei of Odimodi, Chief Yangaboy Angalabiri, explained how the sponsors and operators of the criminal hideout had terrorised the community, electing and deposing community leadership at will, driving fear and panic into all residents and indigenes.
The crisis in the community was further compounded by the involvement of security agents, who reportedly took sides with the parallel authority in Odimodi to terrorise the town.
“Anybody who speaks out against the oppression and illegality being perpetuated by the criminals are hounded and antagonised by security operatives on the payroll of these unscrupulous elements. If you remember, Chief Futek Zikoregha has been in detention since April 1 for a crime he did not commit. The police were used to frame him up as an illegal bunkerer, when he was the one who has been fighting the menace in over 10 years. He has been to Warri police cell, Asaba, Abuja and he is now back in Asaba, where the police are detaining him for no just cause,” one of the community leaders told our reporter.
It was gathered that Zikoregha got into trouble after he raised alarm over the usurpation of traditional authority in the clan by his traducers. The activist also petitioned security agencies, raising alarm on the import of allowing the illegality in the oil-rich community to fester.
Apart from the police, the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies have been fingered for looking the other way while Odimodi raged. For instance, Chief Sunny Gbegha, a leader in the community, whose house was among those razed during the August 31 mayhem, said SOS sent to the Nigerian Navy was rebuffed.
•Gone with the fire
At a the press briefing, the aged traditional ruler, who had personally been a victim of the fangs of the marauding gang, which besides using its Beniboye camp as base for its operations (attacking fish trawlers, crude oil loading vessels, pirate activities on sea goers and attacks on offshore bases of oil companies), reeled out names of those the community had accused of making life and living in the supposed little paradise a hell.
In a nine-page statement, supported with a bulky collection of documents, the Amadiwei identified 29 persons who belong in the category that had oppressed the community and its people, determining how they must live their lives, as a people, against their will. The same name on the lips of everybody in the community; Presley Iyalagha.
He, according to the paramount ruler, had imposed community council executives for years. Iyalagha’s influence had been so pervasive that the traditional council had been rendered almost non-existent. According to the traditional ruler, “Presley is rich and influential; he has used his power to oppress the entire community”. This way of life lasted until recently when the community resisted his oppressive rule and removed his lackeys, whom he had foisted as community executives.
Pukon
Narrating the development that eventually brought Odimodi long desired freedom, the caretaker chairman of the community executive council, Chief Pukon Simon Elex, said “this militant camp, headed by Ayaigbo Abdulraman Ingo, sponsored by Presley Iyalagha and his cohorts, was established sometime in 2013 and the community went against it. When I say community I mean Odimodi, which is mother community to other settler communities. The chiefs, elders and youths protested then that we didn’t want a militant camp in our domain, especially now that militants have all embraced amnesty.
“He did not stop there, he imposed community executive, led by one Benjamin Gbesine on Odimodi community on the 1st of July, 2014 and sometime in June this year, he and his cohorts sacked Benjamin Gbesine, imposed his own elder brother, one Peter Perekuro Iyalagha, on the community. From that 1st of July, 2014 to the 25th of July 2015 there have been many quarrels, petitions and court cases. We’ve been to the D.I.G’s office at the Force C.I.D in Abuja on many occasions.
“From the look of things, Presley has been benefitting from this camp from the proceeds they make from attacking fishing trawlers, small crude oil loading vessels; they remit the returns to him. With that he has been buying arms and ammunition for them, with the aid of his mopol (mobile police) guards.
On the 26th of July, this year, the entire community became tired because like I said earlier, he also incited communal crisis, on the 20th of July, 2015, I led a 12-man committee from Odimodi to Ogulagha to pacify them that Odimodi had no intention of going into crisis with them. He has also been using this camp to threaten Shell, which is our tenant.
“So the community got tired and decided to sack the Presley-imposed community executives and set up a three-man caretaker executive committee, which I am the chairman. It was the sacking of that executive that led to the destruction of our houses. They came into the community on the 31st of August, burnt houses down, shot sporadically, making all the inhabitants; men, women, young and old were sent into the bushes. It was the soldiers who came in about 12 hours after the attack started (that) looked for the paramount ruler and rescued him” Chief Pukon narrated.
Several attempts to get the reaction of Iyalagha to the weighty allegations against him by the community’s leaders were abortive. Calls put across to him went unanswered, just as the myriad of telephone text messages, which we confirmed delivered, to his mobile phone got no response.
It should be noted that Mr Iyalagha had some point indicated interest in giving his side of the story when he said he would only give his response through a type-written statement and requested for an email address, which was provided to him. He, however, refused to give any response as at the time of filing this report, close to a week since he had been reached for his response.
At 9:05am and 8:54pm on Tuesday, September 22, our reporter sent him SMS enquiry. At 9:19pm same day, he offered to respond by email, saying, “Please kindly forward your email, I will send my response via email.”
Our reporter’s email address was sent to him at 9:24pm, five minutes after his request. The next morning, our reporter sent him a reminder. Further notices were sent to him on the 24th (6:50am) and 27th (1:56pm). They all failed to elicit any response until press time.
However, it was gathered that Chief Pukon barley managed to escape with his life when the oppressors came to town the 31st of August because those assigned to get rid of him made sure that only the land on which he built his house was left of all he used to call ‘property’.
They came with a rage and they had more than a field day while in rage. Although the worst seems to be out of sight in the interim, and many of the people who fled from the community as a result of the invasion have returned, there is still fear in the air as news still filters in that those vanquished by the army have started regrouping in nearby communities.
Wale Ojo, popular for his role in the Mnet soap, The Adebanjos, speaks with DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI on his passion for the cinema as well as a burning desire to promote African culture and heritage, among other issues.
Why did you accept The CEO script?
I love working with Kunle Afolayan, and aside that; anything I do is always based on the strength of the script. When I read the script, I really liked it.
What makes this role different from the others?
This role is the opposite of the character in the series The Adebanjos. This guy is fitter, and has more money. This is a serious role. My role in The Adebanjos is a comedy role.
What should people expect from you in this movie?
Well I really think they are in for a surprise. This is a thriller and it is going to be exciting. That is because it is a different kind of film based on its cast. We have Nigerian and international actors; the plot is also very strong with different twists and turns.
Talking about your role in The Adebanjos, how easy is it for you to make people laugh?
Well, I think it’s something that I have been able to practice over the years. It is part of my bag of skills as an actor. I believe that I can play any role; comedy, and serious roles. I can play Baba Suwe and Buhari, if I want to.
Tell us about your quest to change the face of cinemas?
I have a company called The New Nigerian Cinema; it is doing what Kunle is doing. I have directors on board and we intend to change the face of cinemas across Nigeria and bring it up to a new level; an international level. Our first move is to shoot a movie across the water, in Tarkwa Bay. It is titled The Ghost of Tarkwa Bay and it should be released by the end of this year.
What should people look out for in this movie?
It is my first production. It is a very rare movie that is tackling the subject matter that Nigerians don’t even know exists in Nigeria. So I think Nigerians will be surprised to see such movie and excited at the same time.
Who are those featured in the movie?
It is made up of completely unknown cast.
Why are you working with unknown cast?
It is just the way things turned out. The cast in the movie might have not done a lot, but they are good. The only known cast in the movie might be May Owen. That is the way I want it because of the nature of the film.
But it is believed only established stars sell movies?
But they are actors, but are not just known. There are lots of actors who are good, but are not just known.
Why do producers go for known faces and not talents?
I don’t know about them, but my disposition has always been to go for talents.
Tell us about your annual festival abroad?
It is not so much a festival, but I am on the board of the British Film Institute. So we screen movies. We are not limited to screening only Nigerians movies, but any African movie. The London Film Festival is different from what we do. The British Film Institute is like the National Theatre, it is always there. So we programme films there all year round. But the London Film Festival only takes place one month in a year.
So how do you shuttle between home and abroad?
I am very busy; I am always on the plane. I love what I do and I don’t get tired. Most of my time is spent here in Nigeria; but this year, it is looking like most of my time was spent outside. That is why I can’t really tell my movement, because when I got the call to be part of The CEO, I was actually on my way to another set. But I had to change my plans.
Does that happen often?
Yes, for example I was in Lagos where I just finished shooting Tinsel. I was on my way out, when I got a script from a very young unknown writer, by the name Gbolahan Akintunde. I got the script, read it and really liked the script. He said, ‘oga we don’t have much budget’ but I told him not to worry that I love the script and will do it. So I had to change my plans to what inspires me and moves me.
As an actor, what do you look out for in a script?
I look out for something that is novel; something new, that is different and has not been done before. And I look out for a part that is not stereotypical, that challenges me as an actor. I also consider how different it is from the other scripts, and also what it has to push up the Nigerian cinema.
Have you always been this slim?
(Laughs) Do you like my stature? Well I’ve always been quite slim; I find it difficult to gain weight. But I eat a lot. There was a day we finished shooting by 3:00am and I ordered for pounded yam. But I work out to keep fit.
Aside movies, what other projects do you have?
I am working on my charity called the Virgo Foundation. It is all about the promotion of African arts and culture, its vast history and heritage to a public hungry for the true knowledge of African affairs. And our first project is the Benin Bronzes; it is like an archive of the Benin bronzes that has been locked away in museums all over the world.
Already we have photographed like four of these pieces from the British museum; our charity is the first given permission to take the photograph of the bronzes brought out from the underground where it is kept and put them on the website. That way, our children can have access to them while growing up. They should not be locked away. They can look at the different bronzes made by our ancestors and know what they mean.
After that, I will be releasing a documentary titled Kalakuta Despise; which is a movie I am doing on Fela. I want to release the part of the documentary called Felabration. And then the prelude for the actual film later.
Why are you focusing on African heritage?
I don’t know. All I can say is I work on what moves me. I work from within. My charity is not a huge one, we just started and I am developing it story by story. And the aim of the charity will be to reach out to the masses in Nigeria; especially the less privileged. Not only with physical help but with information that can educate them on our history.
We will also be dealing with things that affect our daily lives. But it is a step by step process.
Most times, people who run NGOs complain about funds. What is your own story?
At the moment, I am funding it myself. Obviously, as it gets bigger, we are hoping that more things will come into play. When people see the significance of what we are doing, they will come and support. Right now, I am not soliciting for funds.
Taking you back to the documentary on Fela, don’t you think releasing a trailer now can affect the final production?
Whoever pirates it, their head will jump off at 3:00am in the morning (Laughs). But seriously, it is a very important question; dealing with piracy. I think we just have to keep looking for the answer. I think we need to understand what is going on with piracy. There is so much involved in production and you don’t know who is a pirate; the person beside you might be one. Some of these films are pirated from the cinemas where they are exhibited. We experience such things abroad too. I have seen Hollywood movies being sold too. So it is a worldwide problem. It is not only movies, it also affects music too. It is an ongoing battle that can be won gradually.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to face a higher than average risk of about 50 different health problems. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death such as heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments such as gout and gallstones. 
